Natural Gas Markets and Contracts

Book excerpt: In the last two decades, the share of gas in OECD-Europe's total energy use has risen from 2% to 16%. The importance of the European natural gas market is therefore obvious. It is crucial that this complex topic be analyzed if gas reserves are to be properly utilized in the future. The first part of this book treats various aspects of the European gas market, all stressing the importance of this market being far from competitive. The second part concerns the demand for natural gas, covering topics such as the potential for substitution between oil, natural gas and solid fuels at different fuel prices. The final section discusses a number of issues related to negotiations and design of contracts, presenting a framework for evaluating the economic advantages of various natural gas contracts.